Anything
by PepperjackCandy
Summary: Was Jonathan really had been willing to sacrifice anything to get Clark back? Would he have been willing to let Lex convince Clark for him? warning: SLASH a teensy bit more explict than my usual stuff


Title: Anything

By: PepperjackCandy

Rating: PG-13

Archive: my lj and my writing at PG-13

Pairing: Clark/Lex

Category: Drama/Romance

Spoilers for: Exile

Disclaimer: I own nothing Smallville-related, or related in any other way to Clark Kent, Superman or any of the various creations of the wonderful folks at DC Comics.

Feedback: Always welcome, either by e-mail, using the review system at or by commenting in my lj.

A/N: The first scene of this is dialogue lifted directly from the S3 ep Exile.

I hate the whole Kent Family Smackdown thing from Exile. Reminds me too much of a coworker of dh who said that a woman can't raise a son by herself, because sooner or later, she's going to have to put him down, and she won't be physically strong enough. Mumblechauvanistgrumble . .

"I am Jor-El, the true father of Kal-El," the disembodied voice intoned.

"His name is Clark Kent! I am his father; I raised him."

"You have fulfilled your function in Kal-El's destiny."

"His destiny is whatever he makes of it."

"His destiny is too great for you to comprehend. This was Kal-El's first test to see if he was ready to begin his journey."

"He's too young! He needs more time!"

"This phase of Kal-El's journey is almost complete. It will be of no consequence if he returns to you . . . for now."

"You'll bring him home?"

"If you want him, you must retrieve him yourself."

"I can't. He's too powerful."

"Are you willing to sacrifice anything to get him back?"

"Yes! For my son I'll do anything."

Those words haunted him as Jonathan flew – flew! – towards Metropolis.

At first, he thought he'd have to force Clark to come home, but as he pondered further, he realized that force never gets one anywhere with a Kent.

Persuasion, on the other hand . . .

Jonathan turned and headed toward home. Martha would be able to help. Of course, Clark spoke to Martha several times through the summer, and that never persuaded him to come home.

He headed back towards Metropolis.

It was a pity Lex was dead. He could've talked Clark into coming home. And that certainly would stretch the limits of 'anything.'

But Lex would be no help now.

Except that they never had found Lex's body. And Lex certainly had lived through some, he chuckled dryly at the thought, hair raising experiences.

He didn't hold out much hope, but he had to try.

He made one more course change – towards the Caribbean.

It took Jonathan a few minutes to work out the x-ray vision, but soon he was seeing through coral, clumps of algae and schools of fish like a pro. Humming a song he remembered from Clark's Sesame Street days, he kept looking for something that stood out from the objects around it.

And soon he found it – a rectangular metal piece that looked like an aileron, or a rudder, or something.

It didn't take too long to find Lex. He was alone on an island, trying desperately to fix a lean-to.

Jonathan landed. "Lex . . ." he only got the one word out, because Lex flinched, then hid behind the crude shelter.

"Go away."

"I need your help."

"Why Mr. Kent? Why couldn't I be seeing Clark? Even my dad would make more sense than Mr. Kent."

Jonathan grabbed Lex's upper arm firmly yet gently. "I'm real, Lex. And I'm here to take you home. I need your help."

Half an hour later, Jonathan and Lex saw Clark walking down the street. They touched down in an alley that ran perpendicular to the street and waited.

As Clark walked past, Lex stepped out into his path. "Clark!" He said, overwhelmed by emotion.

"Lex?" Clark reached a hand out, stroking Lex's face gently. "It is you, isn't it?"

Lex nodded. "I was going to say the same thing about you."

Clark threw his arms around Lex, hugging him firmly. "You're alive! And back! And . . . ."

"And I want you to consider going home."

Clark let Lex go like he was carved from kryptonite.

"Or should I say 'coming home.' With me."

Clark's pupils dilated as he stepped forward lowering his head to Lex's for a kiss, "Why didn't you say so?" He asked when he let Lex up.

Lex shoved the knowledge that Jonathan was watching them aside, reached up and returned the kiss. "I meant home to Smallville," he said as he wrapped his arms around Clark. "But the penthouse works, too."

Giving Jonathan a marginally honest mental apology, Lex led Clark down the street.

After the elevator doors opened and spilled the two boys out into the penthouse, they went back to kissing. Lex unbuckled Clark's belt, pulling it slowly through the belt loops. After he had it off, he looped it back around Clark's back, pulling him closer, until their hips were flush.

"Clark?"

"Mmm?"

Lex dropped the belt, holding Clark's hips to his own with his right arm.

"Do you want this?" He kissed Clark's neck.

"Yes," Clark sighed as Lex slipped his left hand under his t-shirt and ran a finger along his abs.

"Really," Lex slid his hands down Clark's arms, dropping Clark's jacket onto the floor, "really want this?"

"Yes!" Clark asserted, rubbing his erection into Lex's pelvis.

Lex kissed Clark with every fiber of his being, every cell in his body, and every ounce of mojo he could muster. Long and liquid.

Then he stepped away.

"Prove it."

A wicked smirk crossed Clark's features, and he stepped into the space that Lex had just vacated, only to find that Lex was even farther away.

"Not like that. Take off the ring."

"The . . . ?"

"You're very sexy, but how do I know it's you?" He summoned up his best challenging look.

Clark shrugged. "Whatever."

The clink of the ring hitting the floor echoed in the room.

And just like that, the farmboy was back.

"Oh, my God. Lex! I . . . " he lunged for the ring, only to find that Lex had already picked it up.

Clark's nostrils flared with anger, but Lex simply turned his back to Clark and crossed the room. "I intend to keep you and this thing as far apart as possible. I sincerely hope that you won't decide to use violence to get it back, but if you have to hurt me . . ." He shrugged.

By then, he'd made it to the safe in the wall. He opened it, then deposited the ring among several of the green rocks, closed the safe, then turned back to face Clark.

"So I guess you didn't really mean it, then? Just the drugs talking," Lex tried to sound cool, but instead he just sounded forlorn.

"Of course I did. But guilt is sort of a mood-killer, you know?"

Lex's heart went out to Clark. He held his arms open. "Why don't you come to bed now. We can worry about that later."

Clark walked gratefully into Lex's open arms.

In the morning, they'll talk about Clark's misdeeds and how they'll make restitution. Then Lex will begin the long process of getting Clark to go home, where he belongs. Will they ever make love? Eventually. When the time's right.

Because Lex will do anything to ensure Clark's happiness.


End file.
